The Case for Web Services Development in Singapore

When Microsoft was looking to create the world's first nationwide, community-based Web services offering, it looked to Singapore. In a report distributed by the World Economic Forum, Singapore possesses the "Most Wired Government" and, as a country, is the "Most Effective in Promoting the Use of IT Among Its Citizens."

Microsoft recently launched a strategic collaboration with Singapore to test its .NET Web-based services. A world's-first in nationwide trials, Singapore will be a test-bed and living lab for this new, emerging technology. .NET MySingapore, as the initiative has been dubbed, is the first of several projects within Singapore's Web services development framework. The government's partnership with Microsoft is part of a larger, nationwide push to showcase the many possibilities offered by Web services technologies.

Singapore is one of Southeast Asia's earliest adopters of Web services, with many organizations and enterprises taking advantage of this technology. The Esplanade, for example, Singapore's new state-of-the-art theater complex, is leveraging Ecquaria Technology, a Singapore company providing Web services software infrastructure and solutions, to implement a Web services platform for integrating its internal IT systems. The Ecquaria Service Oriented Platform (SOP), a fully J2EE-compliant Web services software infrastructure, is the common platform for all of the Esplanade's online services. The SOP provides plug-and-play, horizontal Web services that enable customers to schedule and view shows through a back-end integration to Esplanade's Web-based ticketing system, access to news and events information, online purchases, press center, event hiring, e-mail, and short text messaging communication services.

Ingredients of Success for Any Country's Infrastructure
A key ingredient for Web services deployments in Singapore is the existing telecommunications infrastructure and connectivity rates. Currently, the country boasts nationwide broadband access coverage of 99%, with one out of every two Singaporeans online, and seven out of every ten Singaporeans communicating wirelessly. This network of personal, regional, and international connectivity forms the base infrastructure for Web services deployment.

To Singapore's software and IT services industry, Web services are a potential engine for economic growth. Already, several technology companies have come together in an effort to agree on common standards to further the adoption of Web services, and are beginning to deliver products, services, and architectures for the marketplace. A number of multinational corporations (MNCs) are currently participating in Singapore's infocomm Local Industry Upgrading Program (iLIUP), a business development program that matches MNCs with local companies, and are developing Web services with their Singapore-based technology partners. In addition to Microsoft, this group includes companies such as IBM, Sun Microsystems, Borland, Computer Associates, BEA Systems, Progress Software, ILOG, Oracle, Hewlett-Packard, and Software AG.

Singapore businesses have been eager early adopters of new technologies. For example, the TradeNet system (www.TradeNet.gov.sg) pioneered Singapore's use of technologies for business competitiveness. Under this system, the community receives a fast, efficient means of submitting permit applications electronically to multiple government bodies for processing of import, export, and transshipment documentation. When an application is approved, a permit message will be returned electronically to the sender.

Additionally, Singapore's success in e-government, coupled with its citizens' acceptance of this program, demonstrates yet again their willingness to accept new technology. In early 2002, Singapore was recognized at the E-GOV 2002 show in Washington, DC, for the development of its Public Services Infrastructure (PSi), the platform from which all public services are brought online. PSi is based on J2EE and is the backbone for all of Singapore's e-government initiatives. These successful case histories provide a strong foundation for Singapore to embark on the development of Web services.

Recognizing this possibility, Singapore's Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) recently announced a framework that identified Web services as an emerging technology with the potential to contribute to the country's efforts in leveraging technology to improve citizens' lives and create opportunities for businesses.

The IDA, as the government agency that drives infocomm development, believes it must play a catalytic role and invest in Web services while the technology is still nascent. Besides having a good infrastructure and a history of early adoption of new technologies, Singapore has the advantage of being home to many leading infocomm companies that are actively promoting this technology. Accordingly, it is these organizations that provide the critical impetus to drive the development and implementation of Web services.

Singapore's Strategy for Implementing Web Services
In pushing for Web services to grow in Singapore, there is a need to develop manpower capabilities and intellectual property; create market proof points by encouraging the development of more flagship and trial projects; and address key industry-wide issues such as interoperability, security, network identity, semantics, management of Web services, and a public UDDI registry.

As Web services technology standards are relatively new, companies still need to learn how best to use new development tools and deployment platforms, adapt to new development methodologies, as well as develop new business opportunities and models to exploit the benefits of Web services.

The other prevailing question occupying the marketplace is not "Will the technology work?" but rather "Will it sell?" There is a need to provide a sufficient comfort level to end users by raising awareness of the use, benefits, and stability of XML Web services. At this early stage, the key benefits anticipated from implementation are the expectation of its dominance in the deployment of new application solutions for Fortune 2000 companies by 2004, and driving a 30% increase in the efficiency of IT development projects by 2005. This will bring a new level of connectivity, communications, and fulfillment of products and services between businesses, governments, and users.

Finally, industry-wide issues, such as interoperability, security, network identity, semantics, management of Web services, and public UDDI registries, have to be resolved.

Nevertheless, Singapore sees this as an opportunity since in the past year alone, businesses worldwide invested some $964 billion in IT, pursuing newer versions of operating systems and office automation software. The spending spree has left many enterprises with more selective tastes and wide open to suggestions that existing investments already put in place can be made to work better, together.

To address these issues, Singapore will implement a series of strategic thrusts over the next three years. These include developing the correct intellectual capital to address the shortfall of capability, installing the complementing enabling infrastructure, and creating a "living lab" environment for the development of Web services.

.NET MySingapore
The .NET MySingapore project is a good example of Singapore's strategy in action. First announced in April 2002, the Microsoft trial is part of a larger drive to develop and accelerate the adoption of Web services in Singapore. Working together on this initiative are the IDA, Microsoft, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), Institute of Systems Science (ISS), an insurance co-operative - NTUC Income - and IT services provider - National Computer Systems.

.NET My Singapore is based on four strategic pillars:

Creating Web services that enable Singapore's citizens to easily access and utilize community services.

Developing a new training curriculum and the world's first program for certifying Web services professionals, as well as establishing a Microsoft .NET Professional Certification. ISS, working with Microsoft, has developed a new training curriculum for post-graduates. As of November 2002, 30 students at ISS will have access to two XML electives (Master of Technology and E-Business Architecture & Design). The project team has created a steering committee to lead the development of the world's first .NET Professional Certification Program and .NET Academy.

Establishing a joint Microsoft-IDA overseas development program designed to give Singaporean developers better access to new Web service technologies. This will involve the creation of a position at Microsoft's research facilities in Redmond, co-funded by Microsoft and IDA. Currently in its early stages, the program's Singapore-based partners are being identified to work with Microsoft and IDA by the first quarter of 2003.

Developing an emerging technologies lab to explore new technologies with academia and industry.

The early fruits of this collaboration with Microsoft were launched in mid-October 2002 as the first community-based Web services.

Through .NET MySingapore, NTUC Income will enhance its existing online services for its 1 million policyholders. Called www.BigTrumpet.com, it is more than a Web site and is designed to connect Singapore in an unprecedented manner, utilizing both traditional and XML Web services. The projected adoption for these services is 100,000 users; the initial phase features these key components:

My Money: Features insurance and financial planning services

My Career: Features job search capabilities and lifelong learning programs

My Home: Features home services, child tutoring, and domestic helper searches and management options

My Workplace: A schedule and time maintenance program that connects personal schedule, tasks, and contacts with the users' office, customers, and clients

My Clubs: Enables users to set up and maintain special interest clubs

The backbone of Big Trumpet is "My Folder," which provides secure access to bank, financial, medical, and personal information. Big Trumpet lets individual users access their personal information online with any device, at any time, and with a high level of security. Additionally, users also have control over what information others can see. For example, a user looking for a job can allow potential employers to see his or her career history, and nothing else.

Singapore believes that .NET MySingapore is a great example for private developers, spurring further development in Web services. As highlighted at the .NET MySingapore memorandum signing in April, the .NET MySingapore program will provide an excellent platform on which application and service providers can create new and innovative products and community-based Web services. Singapore welcomes such partnerships, and it is part of the IDA's strategy to accelerate the adoption of Web services locally, and a testimony to the fact that Singapore is a living lab for new and emerging technologies.

Conclusion
With its focus on testing and deploying new and cutting-edge technologies, Singapore will continue to serve as a good test bed for Web services. The country will continue to be a "living lab" for exploring the potential practical applications and benefits of this emerging technology, and the possible creation of future business model applications.

Not Just One
In addition to Microsoft, Sun Microsystems has been active in Singapore. As part of the fourth "Java Tarik" initiative, Sun, in collaboration with the IDA, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology under the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) and other technology partners, launched the Java Smart Services Lab (JSSL) in August 2002. This facility will drive the adoption of Java-based Web services in the local industry through research, pilots and trials, incubation, and development of the appropriate manpower. The JSSL will also help shortlist and recommend to the IDA potential Java-based Web services projects and will contribute consulting, personnel, and incubation, facilities for all pilots or trials.

IBM, which also has a large Singapore presence, is working through an alternative approach to building capabilities that support the emerging Web services cluster in Singapore. Big Blue has chosen to encourage the adoption of open standards by harnessing open Web services standards that allow more interoperability options for users. In a collaborative effort with the local tertiary institution, Nanyang Polytechnic, IBM launched the NYP-IBM Web Services Innovation Zone (WIZ) in September 2002. WIZ will promote open Web services standards such as XML, SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI, by allowing software developers to work with open standards programming models, encouraging application deployment across multiple platforms. Nanyang Polytechnic will not only develop capabilities in Web services, but will also promote the development of other innovative applications and services by recommending to the IDA suitable pilot projects that would benefit from its support.

Author Bio
As the assistant chief executive officer for Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), Khoong Hock Yun works to establish Singapore as a dynamic and vibrant Infocomm hub. His primary role is to grow and strengthen Singapore's broadband industry, thus contributing to the nation's fast-growing digital economy. He is responsible for developing strategies to attract local and international businesses to use Singapore as a conduit for launching and testing broadband applications and services in Asia.

Java and Java-based marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. SYS-CON Publications, Inc. is independent of Sun Microsystems, Inc.